


Howl For It

by Cupcakemolotov



Series: come alive [54]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Corporate Lawyers, F/M, Hybrid Klaus Mikaelson, Jealous Klaus Mikaelson, No Smut, Possessive Klaus Mikaelson, Werewolf Caroline Forbes, Witch Klaus Mikaelson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-13 16:38:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19255066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cupcakemolotov/pseuds/Cupcakemolotov
Summary: Caroline had learned to take her wolf’s territoriality in stride, particularly in the courtroom. Dealing with another wolf who pinged all of her instincts, possessive or otherwise, was a different matter entirely.





	Howl For It

**Author's Note:**

> Started this ages ago when I was in my corporate-lawyer-werewolf-Caroline and witch/wolf-Klaus kick ages ago. Polished it up a bit, but I can’t look at it anymore. I hope you guys enjoy!

The office was silent as she stepped off the elevator, the darkness welcome. Gaze narrowed, Caroline did a quick check to verify that an associate hadn't tried to hide with the lights off to knock out just one more brief before the holiday. Usually, she rewarded such diligence, but Christmas was the one holiday she was firm about.

She was under no illusions that she ran a tight ship, that she could be ruthless when it came to how people managed their time and the quality of work she expected on her desk. When she and Enzo had started, he'd worried she'd frighten off talent. He hadn't been wrong. But as Forbes and St. John grew in reputation, her strict standards had worked in their favor.

They were still a small firm, but one that had garnered a reputation of being smart and tough. That she was a wolf and Enzo a ghoul brought a certain amount of confusion from other supernatural firms, but Caroline’s wolf only cared that her pack belonged to her, not the species that made up those members. She was fairly certain her wolf was part of their firm’s high retention rate.

Everything _should_ have been perfect.

Snarling under her breath, she stalked into her office, leaving the lights off. A modest space, it was the view that garnered the ridiculous price tag. But tonight, the familiar sights of snow-capped buildings and the chaos of the streets below did nothing to ease the agitation in her blood. Rolling her neck, Caroline tried to wrangle her temper. Not for the first time that evening did she wish it was her year to disappear for the holidays. A beach, tequila, and skimpily-dressed cabana boys would have gone a long way to soothing her wolf.

But this year was Enzo’s year to avoid being on call, and more importantly, he’d proposed to Bonnie two nights earlier. Caroline couldn’t begrudge either of them the time to celebrate, the two friends she loved most.

_Pack_ , her heart whispered back.

If only she was satisfied with what she already had. Close friends. A job she loved. Minions who she kept a close eye on and enjoyed watching grow. It was a good life.

Instead, she craved something more, _someone_ , and it was her internal agitation at not having him that left her temper so uneven. Not even the pretty cocktails and holiday wishes had been enough to ease the itch beneath her skin. Nails curling briefly into her palms, she exhaled slowly.

Forcing herself to step neatly out of her heels instead of kicking them across the room, Caroline indulged her temper by tossing her silver cuff onto her desk, and letting her wolf stretch beneath her skin. Her coat followed a moment later, and her stocking-clad toes sank into scratchy carpet as she tipped her head back and sighed

The party she'd just left usually left her wolf happy and playful. Seeing her handpicked minions relaxed and happy after a year of hard work was a _good_ _thing_. The bonus checks that were set to go out the next week were even better. She loved The Holiday Season.

She should have been tipsy and happy.

Except Klaus had decided to show up.

Uninvited.

The same way he’d been crashing into her life for the better part of a decade. Dressed impeccably, his eyes had been wolf gold as he’d watched her from across the room, a tumbler of whiskey in hand.  Her wolf had shoved hard at her skin, only her cuff hiding the magic churning in her veins at the sight of him in her space and pretty enough to eat. Klaus hasn’t backed down from her gaze, he never had.

Blowing out an agitated breath, Caroline pressed her lips tightly together to hold in the rumbling growl. When she’d finally agreed to move to New York, she’d done her research. New York was supposed to be neutral territory but there were a number of packs who ran their businesses as kingdoms in lieu of owning territory. But underneath the red tape and careful boundary lines, there was one undisputed power.

Klaus Mikaelson was an anomaly in the supernatural world, a wolf born to witch line who retained remnants of each. A hybrid. Old and ruthless, his conglomerate was a dangerous one. Klaus played both sides of the law, tolerated no interference, and was so utterly charming that most humans forgot the wolf that lived beneath his skin. He’d spent years quietly destroying anyone who’d challenge him, ruining them with a flair for the dramatic that made sure anyone who considered putting themselves against him would think twice.

Dangerous and deliciously handsome, Caroline never been so confused or furious than when she dealt with him. She would never forget the first time she'd walked out of a courtroom to find him waiting. She and Enzo had been working on a small case that went directly against the Mikaelson family interests. Klaus wasn’t the family lawyer, that position fell strictly to his older brother Elijah whose team was both efficient and razor sharp, but lacked a certain… creativity. She and Enzo had found an angle in the lawsuit they thought could work, and she’d argued it two days prior.

Caroline had really had no reason to think that Klaus would personally track her down post-win, but there had been no mistaking who he was and the arrogance of his stance said he _expected_ to be recognized. He’d worn a suit but had left his curls tumbling across his forehead. His mouth had been curved into a small, private smile that hinted at his dimples. She’d been warned he was as magnetic as the devil, that he could charm whomever he put his mind to, but she hadn’t expected such a violent jolt of awareness from her wolf.

For a moment they’d just stared at each other, something wild charging the air between them. Her mouth had ran dry, skin buzzing like she’d stood in the center of a witch storm, and then it had cut off like a switch had been flipped. Maintaining her composure had been a strain, and the gold of his eyes had scratched at her mental armor.

“It appears I underestimated you,” Klaus said after a moment, his voice a low rumble of sound. It took a moment for her to connect the dots, her senses still rattled. Enzo had already texted her the news of the settlement, but she’d hadn’t had a chance to call him for details.

If Klaus was standing in front of her, it had to have meant it had been win. Her composure had shuddered when he stepped just inside her personal space, the scent of him both wolf and witch, the combination tantalizing. She’d barely held onto her poker face by ignoring her instinctive need to take a lingering breath, to shove back against his presence so close to hers.

Concentrating on why he was there helped. Caroline tried not to wonder how he’d found her so quickly or the implied threat that he’d done so personally. It’d been a struggle, but she’d contained her wolf without the burn of her silver cuff.

“You did,” she agreed to his earlier words, a little fascinated despite herself at the sparks of yellow in his eyes, those glimmers of cagey intelligence.

“It won't happen again.”

Alarm skated down her spine. “Is that a threat?”

“It's a job offer.”

Caroline blinked at him, brows coming together sharply in confusion. “What?”

“I'm offering you a job,” Klaus said, amusement clear on his face now, a careless shift of moods. As if his anger had simply _dissipated_. “Name your price.”

Shock spun into anger at his tone, her wolf insulted that he thought she was so easily bought. Anger gave her bravado when she had a bone-deep certainty that this was a trap she couldn’t spring. Her tiny firm didn’t couldn’t survive with those kinds of strings such a deal would come with.

Chin lifting, Caroline kept her voice cool. “You can't afford me.”

At her words Klaus straightened, arrogance and affront darkening his gaze. “I assure you, I _can_.”

Caroline adjusted her bag and gave him her best pageant smile. “I know exactly what you're worth, Mr. Mikaelson, down to your last penny. I assure you, what you have to offer, I'm not interested in.”

Gold flared out at the edges of his irises, and for a moment she could feel the pressure of his magic, the spark of it between them. It was a cold burn mingled with the heat of his wolf. It was only a childhood spent with Bennett witches and the iron stubbornness of her wolf that allowed her to keep from flinching. But her nails cut into the leather of her briefcase, and the cuff at her wrist burned.

As if he could sense it, his gaze dipped, mouth tightening. She knew he couldn’t see the silver under her suit jacket, but something sparked in his eyes. “Clever work. Who was the witch? Perhaps _they’d_ be smart enough to accept my offer instead.”

“We’re finished,” Caroline said flatly, stepping around him. She paused when he spoke again, her spine pulled taut.

“Are you sure, Ms. Forbes? Things could become tricky for you, should you set yourself up against my family.”

Caroline glanced back then, and his wolf watched her openly. The suggestion that she’d pick cases against his family for the notoriety slashed at her temper. And his words, as if he deserved an explanation about her firm's practices or her criteria for taking a case?

Grinding her teeth, she forced herself to think. The volatile temper of her wolf hadn’t ruled her since she’d finished puberty. She wouldn’t let it ruin today. They couldn’t afford to make Klaus Mikaelson their enemy.

But she would _not_ be bullied. Not here. Not by him.

Baring her teeth, Caroline let her wolf show in her words, if not her eyes. “I’ve no intention of building our foundation on the ruin of yours.”

The slow, curling smile wasn’t what she’d expected, the deep creases in his cheeks breathtaking. Something molten threaded through his eyes, but then he blinked, and the blue eyes of the witch watched her instead. “No? I suppose we’ll see, won’t we? I do admire a challenge, Ms. Forbes. I’ll be watching your career with great interest.”

She’d watched him leave with a wrenching in her chest she couldn’t explain.

Later, Enzo had laughed and toasted her balls when she'd told him about the encounter. Sitting in their tiny office, their desks shoved together and their books stacked on the floor, the idea that Klaus Mikaelson was interested in hiring them was ridiculous. The Hybrid’s personal net worth had more zeros than Caroline could fathom in one bank account, and bravado aside, they didn’t have anything to offer his organization that the Mikaelson’s didn’t already have.

But every so often, Caroline would leave the courthouse to find Klaus watching her with a calculating expression. He’d never approached her, but she was intimately aware of his eyes. Her wolf would bristle under her skin, his presence scraping across her senses like sandpaper.

It irritated the hell out of her.

Whatever Klaus had been looking for he clearly hadn’t found, because then he’d started invading her personal life. If there was a show at an art gallery she had taken a shine too, he’d appear with champagne and a patronage. Then there was the small theatre program she’d annually helped to fund, and he started showing up at their opening night. Her personal, private causes seemed to fascinate him.

And every time, ignoring him was impossible. Her wolf brushed beneath her skin at the sound of his voice, shoved against her control with every flash of dimples. The heat of his gaze burned against her skin like a brand. The night she’d found herself _looking_ for him, fingers smoothing the silver of her cuff, she’d struggled not to bite him out sheer aggravation.

Klaus had noticed, of course he had, and the curve of his devilish smile had been as inviting as much as a dare. The longer his smile had taunted her, the more she’d fantasized about shaking him from his arrogance. Common sense kept her from tangling with him with teeth and claws, left her biting her tongue bloody.

And he just _kept_ pushing.

Caroline blew out a breath. Lust, she would have dealt with. Her wolf’s raw reaction to his, the way she itched to shove him to the ground and see who came out on top, that was a wild need in her blood, but not an unfamiliar one. Klaus wasn’t the first alpha she’d met in her life, but he was the first who intrigued her. Her wolf wasn’t picky about sex but it was extremely selective when it did decide to claim. That Klaus had affected her on such an elemental level from the very beginning had been baffling.

But what disarmed her so unexpectedly was the honesty. It was near impossible to lie to a wolf, and as best she could tell, he hadn’t attempted it. Instead Klaus poked and prodded, cajoled and charmed until she had begun to consider that the effort, the truth in his eyes meant he was interested in her for more than just the challenge.

She’d tried brushing away the burning need to aggravate him in return, to bite back as her wolf just missing its like, but that excuse hadn't held up long. Her wolf missed nothing of her previous pack, and Klaus had a way of drawing her out; his sense of humor was as sneaky as he was arrogant. He could be butter smooth when he choose, and he was an intriguing combination of ruthlessness and temperamental artist that she found appealing. His biting little rejoinders, his unwavering focus and playful taunts were _fun_.

The girl and wolf both liked him.

Seeing him tonight, watching him interact as if he belonged with the people she cared about the most had been a kick in the gut. Seeing other women flirt with him in _her_ space had left her temper scraped raw. Her wolf bristled at the reminder and she silently bared her teeth, snarl caught tightly in her throat.

Spinning to stare into the city lights, she groaned.

What a night to realize that Klaus had crawled further beneath her skin than she’d thought possible. She did just want him. She wanted his skin marked by her scent, she wanted to claim him so fully that even a human would know he was taken. It was unbelievably frustrating.

There had been to many people at the party, to many competing emotions, and she’d slipped out needing some space to breathe. She needed to think, to plan, and Caroline had no idea where to start. Instead, her thoughts kept circling back to that patch of skin beneath Klaus’ collarbones and how good her lipstick would look there.

Klaus had colored the dreams she forced herself to ignore, the cold sheets of her bed as grating as her preference on who should warm them. It was frustrating and fascinating and she’d have _clawed_ him in that moment had he been close enough. But lowering her defenses with Klaus would be a gamble.

They were both so stubborn. God, hadn’t that night in the bar proven just had obtuse they could both be? But it had also shown her just how much fun it could be, for all that she had wanted to pretend otherwise.

_“I’m not certain this was where I’d have expected to find you, Caroline. A wine bar, perhaps, but not a dive. Particularly in that dress.”_

_Caroline swiveled on her heels, pool stick gripped firmly as she glowered in his direction. He’d lost his jacket and tie, the sleeves of his crisp dress shirt rolled past his forearms. Beneath the open collar of his shirt gleamed metal and a darker, weathered leather. A hint of cologne brushed against her nose as he stepped around her and she barely held in a shudder._

“ _What are you doing here?” Caroline finally blurted, exasperation heavy in her voice. She’d come here to clear her head after that little display of his and she did not appreciate him tracking her down. Winning always made her happier, and fleecing a few hundred bucks in a couple games of pool had seemed like a nice break from her week._

_A smile tugged at his lips as Klaus sauntered over to the pool sticks, fingers dragging lightly along the wood before he hefted one, examining the tip. It was distracting, watching him move, and she forced herself to pay attention to his words instead. “Here I’d thought that’d be obvious.”_

_Caroline smiled sweetly when he glanced back in her direction, having just missed being caught admiring his ass. “Stalking is illegal.”_

_A grin, quick and boyish. “Hardly stalking, love. I’m merely concerned as what could have been so pressing that you left early, when I have it on good authority that you love that particularly fundraiser, hmm?_

_She pinned him with a flat stare, hand resting on her hip. She would not admit out loud the internal agitation he never failed to stir up with his presence. “That’s your story? How about this then? Why are you_ still _here?”_

_A flicker of his wolf. “Why wouldn’t I be?”_

_The hot flash of gold should have been a warning. Instead, if left her wanting to leave him as raw as he’d left her. Lashes fluttering, words surgery sweet, she lifted one shoulder and dropped it carelessly._

“ _Haven’t we already proven I’m not bribable?”_

_“Ah,” Klaus murmured, teeth gleaming behind the curve of his lips. “That was business, Caroline. And I’d hardly call it a bribe. More of an investment.”_

_She rolled her eyes, not bothering to hide her disbelief. “Sure.”_

_A touch of impatience flickered across his eyes, mouth tightening at the corners. His fingers tightened against the wood he held, wolf vibrant and wild, before he tucked it sharply back beneath his skin. “Is it so unreasonable that I see your potential, Caroline?”_

_Caroline tipped her head to the side, and let her wolf peak out to study him the way he continued to study her. She knew Klaus had a temper, that he was impulsive and mercurial as the wind. But beneath that wildness was a calculation she liked. Swiping her tongue across her lips, she considered his words._

“ _My and Enzo’s worth has never been up to you to decide,” she said finally. She held up a hand when his posture shifted, gaze narrowed. She didn’t want to fight with him. And tonight, with his devouring eyes and wicked smile, she thought this might be truer to the heart of him and her wolf was curious. For the first time in weeks she felt easy in his presence, in this little bar her wolf considered hers. In her territory, she could be magnanimous._

“ _As for the rest of it, willing to put your money where your mouth is?” Tonight, she was willing to let her need to understand what made him tick win against her finely honed sense of self preservation. Reaching between them, she slotted in quarters, and she angled her chin towards his pool stick. “If not, move so someone else can.”_

_Intrigue brightened his gaze, and Caroline steeled herself against the impact of his eyes. His lips curved slightly as if he’d sensed a change in her, a few glimmers of the hunt wild in his eyes. “What did you have in mind?”_

_“When I win, you’ll tell me the_ real _reason you keep turning up,” Caroline said simply._

_He wetted his lips, head tipping to mimic her stance. “And when I win?”_

“ _What do you want?”_

“ _Dinner,”  Klaus said immediately._

“ _No,” Caroline said slowly, shaking her head. “That’s not a fair trade. Three rounds, best two of three. Winner gets to ask their question, then we’re done.”_

“ _Tonight,” he countered behind a long, glittering glance. “Then we are done tonight. As for my question, you’ll tell me why you refused my initial offer.”_

She  _shrugged, refusing to show the nerves fluttering low. “If that’s what you want.”_

_A rough laugh as he reached over to start racking the balls. His fingers were quick, practiced, and she’d be a fool to think this was his first round of 8-ball. “Hardly what I want, Caroline, but I’m willing to start here.”_

_She eyed him for a long moment before waving down a familiar waiter. Holding up two fingers, she smiled her thanks at the nod. She was going to need a drink. “Hope you like beer; you’re buying the next round.”_

“ _Lady’s choice,” he said simply before setting aside the rack triangle. Caroline snorted, and rested her hip against the side of the pool table, offering a biting smile._

“ _Impress me, then.”_

Klaus had given her as good as she’d dished out, their wolves tangling through words instead of violence. He’d won the first match, but she’d taken the next two by a thread. He’d only been a somewhat good sport about losing, but his words had been unflinching.

I  _fancy you. Is that so hard to believe?_

It had been. Weeks ago, laughter had been easy on her tongue. But now she wasn’t so sure. And what did she want to do about it, if he’d told her truly?

“Here I’d hoped to find you at home,” Klaus voice murmured from behind her, breaking into her thoughts. “You look as agitated as I feel, sweetheart. Perhaps we should do something about that.”

Caroline spun on her toes, shock a skip in her pulse. Much as the last time she’d seen him, Klaus had shed his outer layer, leaving him rumpled and dangerously tempting. But tonight there was no careful lowering of shields, no charming words and tempting smile. His wolf was a blaze beneath his skin, magic thick between them.

His gaze drank her in, lingering on the wolf clear in her eyes, the silver cuff on her desk. For the first time since they’d started circling each other, Caroline’s wolf wasn’t hidden behind a careful spell. Riled and needy, she flexed her fingers in an attempt to maintain what little composure she had left as they stared at each other, the air charged.

“How’d you get in?” She finally bit out.

His smile was a dark thing, teeth gleaming as he flicked a keycard between his fingers. “I’m sure your ghoul will miss this, hmm?”

Caroline‘s eyes narrowed. “Enzo isn’t an easy mark.”

A casual shrug, before he tossed it onto her desk. “It appears my fingers haven’t forgotten their old tricks after all.”

“What are you doing here, Klaus?”

His eyes gleamed, hands sliding into his pockets as the wolf rose in his eyes to tangle with hers. “You left in such a hurry, I was curious. What could possibly have riled you so prettily?”

“ _Don’t_ be an ass.”

“Perhaps you should be a bit more honest in our dealings then, hmm?”

“Temper flushing beneath her skin, Caroline narrowed her eyes in warning. “Do not try to give me orders in _my_ office. This is my territory, Klaus.”

A hint of dimple. “You’re so magnificent when in a temper. Snarl all you want, but we both know this discussion is long overdue, Caroline. Although I had hoped we’d have it somewhere a little more private.”

She tried to ignore the flush of heat that spiraled through her at his words. The naked longing he didn’t bother to hide. Her wolf shifted beneath her skin, head tilting as she tried to work through his angle.

“Why the surprise?” he asked, as if his muscles weren’t drawn taut, lips red from his teeth. “I’ve been quite clear on what I want. I’m not the only one who has walked away from our little arguments smelling of arousal. And every time, I find myself wondering if your tongue would be quite so agile post-orgasm. If you’d manage to strip me to bone with such ease with eyes gone hazy with pleasure.”

A shudder traced down her spine, and her fingers flexed at her side as she forced herself still. “Sex is easy.”

“Have you wondered why I haven’t touched you?” Klaus asked ruthlessly, pushing forward so only the width of her desk separated them. “Why I’ve only allowed myself the pleasure of baiting you with words when I ache to memorize you with the softest, greediest of touches?”

“Why?” It was a dangerous question, but it slipped past her lips before she could catch it.

“Because I wouldn’t be satisfied by just a bite,” Klaus murmured back, voice roughened by his wolf, magic thick against her skin. “I’ve wanted to mark your skin with the claim of my teeth on your throat, your breast, your thighs since that first meeting where you defied me with your words and eyes.”

Her heart leapt into her throat, thighs sliding together at the heat that burned through her. The muscles in his forearms clenched as he breathed in as if his fingers had fisted tightly together. The blaze of his wolf called hers and her fingers trembled with the need to dig into his skin.

“Then later,” he continued, “with each perfectly sweet refusal with bared teeth? I knew I wanted you sweat slicked and greedy, but not submissive.”

Caroline shook her head, taking a steadying breath and trying to ignore the smell of his arousal mingled with hers. “Is this a game to you, Klaus?”

“Game?” He arched a brow, arrogance bleeding from the angle of his jaw, the set of his mouth. “No. Your presence stopped being a personal amusement quite some time ago. Not when I crave the scent of you, when my wolf longs to drown in the taste and feel of you.”

“It was tempting, so unfairly tempting. But some things were important. Pulse pounding in her throat, cheeks flushed with arousal and temper, she swept out a hand, encompassing the offices. “This is _mine._   _You_ don’t get to have it.”

His wolf was clear and bright in his eyes when he spoke. “But do I get to have you?”

His words bounced inside of her head, echoed in her bones. Stepping closer, until the heat of his chest warmed her, she showed her teeth. “I don’t share well.”

It was why she’d left her home pack after her mother’s death. Why she’d kept Enzo and Bonnie close. She’d broke no interference in the things that were hers. Not from him, not from the local packs, from no one. This business was hers, her little fiefdom that would one day be on top.

But that was business.

Klaus? Klaus was personal.

The way his’ mouth curved, the tip of his tongue gliding across his bottom lip was all pleasure. “Oh, I hope you don’t share at all, because I certainly don’t plan too.”

Caroline read the acceptance in his eyes, smelled the arousal on his skin, and her wolf lunged in acceptance. She knew they had more to discuss: his stalking, his impatience and his need to know everything.

They had boundaries to set.

But as her teeth sank into his smile, her wolf a feral greed beneath her skin, she didn’t care.

 


End file.
